Glasgow Acting Coach gives Advice: Understanding

I have been giving away free advice on this blog since December 2008, and sometimes I have inspired and sometimes people came up from the village shouting ‘Burn the Witch’.

But the very simple techniques that we offer at the Acting Coach Scotland acting studio in Glasgow soon began to capture people’s attention around the world, and now we count BAFTA, Emmy and Oscar winners among our clients, alongside jobbing actors, students and committed amateurs. We treat everyone the same, they are all special, they are all my top client, because they all share something with me, a passion for the craft of the actor.

My staff and I at the ACS Acting Studio in Glasgow have always tried to demystify acting, and yes, that’s going to annoy the people that like to keep it special, and only for the gifted ones. And if you read the blog or come to the studio for private or group acting classes, you we don’t believe in talent, we believe that anyone can learn to act, and act very well if they commit themselves to it. Not everyone survives the journey, it takes a lot more than people think to make it, but for those that dig in, become passionate, refuse to give up when things get difficult and frustrating, then they take hold of a most powerful resource, a common sense technique of acting that will bring them to professional level acting.

The last time I said that, someone accused me of making false promises. But I’ll be honest with you, if people do what I just suggested they do, they get good. It isn’t accident, talent or anything like that. Just common sense. Learn the skills, put them into action, hold your course, even when things get tough.

But for those of you that can’t make it to the ACS Acting Studio in Glasgow, I’ll give you 5 tips on acting othatched next 5 days, that will help you right now.

ONE: A REAL Understanding of the Scene

Understanding the script is one of the most important things for an actor. Understanding is more important than any fantastic interpretation.

By understanding, I do not mean do you understand what’s being said. That’s basic comprehension.

I mean, do you understand what is happening at the dramatic level?

What is the essential dramatic action of the scene? What is occurring on the level that the writer constructed it.

What the characters are saying is often not what is being done at the essential dramatic level.

“Ah! Subtext” people usually say.

“No.” I reply. There is no subtext, subtext is just interpretation of what isn’t being said.

The essential dramatic understanding is to see the scene for its nuts and it’s bolts, from the perspective of the dramatic construction.

But why is this viewpoint so important?

Because it forces us to stop ‘interpreting’. Interpretation is the enemy of good art.

Wow, did I really say that?

Yes I did.

But, said the much respected Professor of Theatre: “Doesn’t that mean every performance would be the same regardless of which actor played the role.”

Don’t be silly! When you make decisions based on your understanding, you will make choices that shape your performance, this creates your individual ‘take’ on the role. However, when you make choices based on your ‘feelings’ about the scene, you find yourself defending those choices at every turn.

Before any decisions are made, an understanding must be made.

Can you say in one sentence what your character is literally doing in that scene on an essential dramatic level? If you can’t articulate it, I doubt you have a real understanding.

You have already started interpreting things before you’ve understood them in a literal sense. The line “Oh absolutely” means nothing out of context, but one thing I know for sure is that unless I leave my interpretation at the door, I will say that the character is agreeing. They are not agreeing. They are saying ‘oh absolutely’, whether they are agreeing or not will depend upon what the actor does in the moment.

When we look at the lines, we decide from a superficial reading that the character is being a bitch, and then play every line as if she is being a bitch. That’s the easiest way to a one-dimensional character and a dull and lacklustre performance.

Many actors interpret because no one ever taught them to understand.

Many actors interpret because it’s a lot easier than understanding.

Many actors interpret because they mistakenly believe this to be part of their job.

It isn’t.

First understand what you must say, and then take action upon that understanding.

I read a really good blog recently about the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney’s production of Death of a Salesman. They got in trouble with Miller’s agent for cutting the final scene because it didn’t fit with their ‘interpretation’ of the script. I’m glad the agent did this, because importing in ‘ideas’ and forcing them onto the script is the worst kind of interpretation of all.

COACH

Mark Westbrook is Senior Acting Coach at Acting Coach Scotland

Based in Australia? Mark is coming to Sydney in November for a week-long intensive masterclass! Find out more here.